The present invention relates to new hydrogenated 1-oxo-isoindoline derivatives, to new processes for their preparation and to their use as anti-inflammatory agents.
For several years, extensive studies of anti-inflammatory agents have been carried out throughout the world, as demand for these agents has increased. Of the anti-inflammatory agents known, including those currently used in therapy, some agents are known to have a strong therapeutic effect. However, known anti-inflammatory agents having a strong therapeutic activity also, in general, exhibit pronounced side-effects; on the other hand, agents whose side-effects are less pronounced and which have a lower toxicity generally have weak therapeutic activity. Such agents, having weak therapeutic activity, must be administered in large quantities, which can give rise to problems during therapy. Thus, either type of agent has both advantages and disadvantages. There is, therefore, a clear need for an agent having strong therapeutic activity but simultaneously weak side-effects and a low toxicity.
We have now discovered that certain hydrogenated 1-oxo-isoindoline derivatives meet these requirements.